Children recognized as U.S. citizens

Four-year-old Jennifer Thanh Vu, from Vietnam, holds an American flag just before she and 18 other children take the Oath of Allegiance and receive their U.S. citizenship certificates.

Four-year-old Jennifer Thanh Vu, from Vietnam, holds an American flag just before she and 18 other children take the Oath of Allegiance and receive their U.S. citizenship certificates. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Five-year-old Gideon Sowunmi, from Nigeria, waves an American flag just before he and 18 other children take the Oath of Allegiance and receive their U.S. citizenship certificates.

Five-year-old Gideon Sowunmi, from Nigeria, waves an American flag just before he and 18 other children take the Oath of Allegiance and receive their U.S. citizenship certificates. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nineteen children from various countries were recognized as U.S. citizens with a special Halloween-themed ceremony by the staff of the San Diego district office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in San Diego on Thursday. The children either derived citizenship when their immigrant parents became naturalized citizens or they were adopted by U.S citizen parents.